The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1887-03-17
FRAUDS DETECTED"
Sermon by Rev. T. De Witt Tai
mage, D. D.
How Sin Is Found Out, Either in the
World Around, the World Within, or
the World Beyond-The Only
Safe Hiding Place.

BROOKLYN, N. Y, Feb. 13-Dr. Talmage
chose for his text to-day the twenty third
verse of the thirty second chapter of Num-
bers: "But If We will not do so, behold, ye
have sinned against the Lord; and be sure
your sin will find you out" His subject
was: ssFrauds Detected" The sermon is
as follows:
On the map of Palestine, Reuben and
Cad lie on the east side of Jordan. When
the Israelites, after their forty years. wan
dering in the wilderness, reached the bor-
ders of the promised land, these two tribes
asked leave to settle down there at once.
They also promised to go over Jordan and
help their brethren drive out their enemies.
But Moses was not very sure about them.
He told them that if they kept their word,
all would be well; and then said: "But if
We will not do so, behold, We have sinned
against the Lord; and be sure your sin will
find you out"
What solemn sayingl How it grleves
you'll The very sound of the words strikes
terror into US. The sinner skulks, and fees
and does all that he can to hide himself; but
sin is an avenger or detective on his track
The detective follows with slow and noise
less steps, but he is sure. He will not be
brlbed, he can not be outwtted by the
criminal. He may seize the trembling sim
ner any day, and seize him he shall some
day. Every sinner has at last to say, like
the frightened Ahab: "Hast thou found me,
o, mine enenya'
There are three worlds in which sin finds
us out-the world around; the world within !;
the world beyond.
In the world around sin finds the sin
ner out, for sin is the mother of all shame,
sorrow and suffering. Yet every sinner
fancies that sin will not find him out. Visit
our prisons. l am sure every prisoner
there believed he would not be caught.
He knew that others had been caught, but
he expected good luck, as he calls it. He
was like the silly gambler who is sure
that he will win, lose who may. HIS sin
was done so cleverly, and in the dark. All
sinners are like these prisoners.
1t IS amazing in how many ways sin
finds men out. In the year 1900, France
being then at war with England, a Danish
vessel, suspected of being in the French
service, was captured at Kingston, West
Indies. But the charge could not be
provea. The sailors Of the war ship Aber-
gavenny, then at the same station, were
amusing themselves with catching sharks.
On opening shark, they found in its NAV
a pocket-book containing bills of lading,
which proved that the captured vessel be-
longed to the enemy. The captain, when
pursued, had thrown his pocket book into
the sea, and the shark had deyoured it
The captains sin found him out through
the nav Of the shark, and his ship became
. British prize
II you read your history you will gather
proofs of my text-millions of them. For
all history echoes the words of Moses, the
first historian: ssBe sure your sin will find
you out" All the great writer's and poets,
especially of the heather world, have one
favorite theme. They trace the career of
the successful sinner; he moves along
fearless, naughty, defying Heaven; but an
awful form is on his track, with uplifted
hand grasping the sword of justice, and
noiselessly stealing nearer and nearer him,
while he Is surer of nothing than this-that
his sin will not find him out. The blow falls
upon him like q thunderbolt from q clear
sky.
These great writers love to bring out
what is called poetic justice. They show
what every page of history proves, that
with the sinner it is "like for lilxe'' and
measure for measure;" the slayer is
slain, the cheater is cheated, the doer is
his own net.
Blood for blood, and blow for blow,
Thou shalt reap as thou didst SOW;
Age to age with hoary wisdom
Speakest thus to men"
will give you two of the most striking
instances OF this have yet met with. In
1893 Louis XIV, OF France, destroyed the
tomb OF the Emperors of Spiers by the
hand OF an officer named Hentz; and on
the very same day in 1898, exactly one hun.
dred years afterward, by one Hentz, the
representative of the people, the tombs OF
the French Kings at st. Denis were broken
open, and the ashes of Louis XIV were
the first scattered to the winds. That was
case of ironical retribution-that is,
punishment which seems cruelty tt
mock the sinner, by giving him his own
sin back to his own bosom.
Not many years ago Mormon Bisho,
named Lee was shot on the very spo
where twenty years ago he had massacret
company of emigrants. As he sat dow
on the coffin provided for his body, Will,
The soldiers were preparing for his execu
tion his eyes rested on great cross owe
the grave of his victims, with this inscrip
ton: Vengeance is mine, / will repay
saith the Lord"
One of the shortest and most telling ser
mons I ever heard was by friend VIII,
had charge of hospital Going round hi
wards with him one Sabbath morning w,
came to young man whose secret sim
had found him out As the doctor laid barr
his hideous sores--the sight was enough t,
sicken you-he said in a slow and solemn
tone: "Be not deceived; God is no
Knocked; for whatsoever a man soweth
that shall he also reap. For''-still uncov
ering and dressing the running sores--ssh,
that soweth to the flesh shall of his flesl
reap corruption The poor mans fac,
changed color, his eyeballs grew larger
and feltas il / had been present at the las
Judgment.
II can not look on one of my Children
said the father Of a large and respectful,
family, "without seeing in them the effects
of the sins of my youth" His sins hat
ruined his health and theirs. These ar,
not pleasant things to say, but you need t,
be told them.
The whole Bible is sermon on nv text
The first sin-the sin of Adam and Eve
how soon it was found outi Cain, was no
he found outi The very earth cried on
against him and the mark on his forehead
advertised his crime to all the world. The
sinners in Noah's day were found out b,
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